zyxel 8-port 2.5g multi-gigabit unmanaged switch

Hi @Lefty_Insider

All your devices, not just the computer connected to the 1G LAN port of the router, are limited to a 1G connection. When these end devices need to access the internet, their traffic first goes to their default gateway, which is the 1G LAN port of the Netgear router, not to the modem.

Imagine your home network like a system of roads. All your devices (cars) need to go through a checkpoint (router's 1G LAN port) before they can reach the highway (internet). The checkpoint is only one lane wide (1G speed), so no matter how fast the cars can go or how wide the highway is (2.5G on the WAN port), they must slow down to pass through the checkpoint.

Regarding the screenshot you shared, it indicates the link speed between your PC's network adapter and the connected device, not the actual speed your PC achieves when the traffic goes to the modem.

Hi @Lefty_Insider

We would like to summarize this forum thread and provide some key points and potential solutions for your network setup.

Key Points:

1. Current Setup and Issue:
   • Your current setup includes a Hitron EN251 modem, a Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 router, and a Zyxel MG-108 switch.
   • Both the WAN and LAN ports of the Netgear router are connected to MG-108, the unmanaged switch, as shown in the diagram.
     
   • The router can obtain an IP when directly connected to the modem, but not when the switch is in between. After rebooting, the router gets a 10.0.0.2 IP, indicating possible DHCP conflicts.
2. Understanding the Switch:
   • The MG-108 is an unmanaged switch that doesn't have its own MAC address. It forwards packets based on the MAC addresses it observes from connected devices.
   • This setup can lead to conflicts because the unmanaged switch mixes LAN and WAN traffic.

Proposed Solutions:

As mentioned previously in this comment:

1. Change Topology: Connecting the modem directly to the router, then the router to the switch (modem → router → switch). This setup ensures proper traffic management and avoids mixing LAN and WAN traffic, preventing IP conflicts.
2. Use a Managed Switch: If you prefer to maintain your current setup (modem → switch → router), upgrading to a managed switch with VLAN capabilities can help segregate WAN and LAN traffic effectively, thus avoiding conflicts.

I hope this helps clarify the situation and guides you towards a solution.

Best regards,